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Blue Jays: Cold keeps lid closed at Rogers Centre

Why wasn’t the roof open at the Rogers Centre on a glorious Saturday in May? Blame it on this year’s dreadfully long winter.

Despite the sunshine and warm temperatures outside, Jays outfielder Jose Bautista takes the field under a closed roof at the Rogers Centre on Saturday. This year's long, cold winter meant the roof could not begin its required testing until recently, so it might be a while before fans can grab some rays while watching the action.
(Chris Young / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

With the sun shining and temperatures approaching 20C on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, many Blue Jays fans were wondering why they were stuck inside to watch their team take on the Los Angeles Angels. Isn’t the whole point of having a retractable roof that you can open it when it’s nice outside? Well, it’s one more thing you can blame on the dreadfully long winter we’re just coming out of.

The colder weather meant that the roof could not begin its required testing until recently. Since the dome is sealed through the winter, testing of the roof can’t begin until all the snow and ice have melted. The mechanical parts that allow the roof to open and close contract in the cold, so consecutive warm-weather days of roughly 10C or higher are required before testing can begin.

“At around 10 degrees, if we were to open the roof, and the temperature then dropped, we risk not being able to close it,” Stephen Brooks, the Jays’ senior vice-president of business operations, told the Star back in 2012.

Consider that last Monday’s low was just two degrees above freezing and you can see why the testing has only begun.

A report by CityTV on May 6 said the Jays were targeting May 23 for the first open-air game, but a team spokesman said Saturday there is no specific date in mind, only that the testing must be completed.

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